The Washington Post reported Sunday that Bush administration officials sent a draft legal memorandum to Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco just before midnight Friday asking her to request a federal takeover of the evacuation of New Orleans, according to a source within the state's emergency operations center. Administration officials had been seeking direct unified control over [...]

Iraqi government spokesman Laith Kubba Sunday confirmed earlier reports that Saddam Hussein and several associates would face trial before the Iraqi Special Tribunal October 19 for the execution of 143 Shiite residents of the town of Dujail . Also slated to stand trial for the killings are intelligence chief Barazan Ibrahim, former Vice President Taha [...]

President Bush Sunday paid personal tribute to Chief Justice William Rehnquist , who died Saturday evening at the age of 80 . Speaking in the Roosevelt Room at the White House, he said of the late jurist: He was extremely well respected for his powerful intellect. He was respected for his deep commitment to the [...]

An Egyptian court ruled Saturday that private monitoring groups can observe next Wednesday's presidential poll, the country's first multi-candidate election . The court held that the state election committee, which had opposed outside monitors , does not have the authority to decide the issue. Egyptian President Honsi Mubarak , who had also opposed monitoring and [...]

Iraqi lawmakers said Saturday that new discussions on the text of the Iraqi constitution are underway, following calls for national unity after a Baghdad stampede of Shiite religious celebrants incited by the rumor of a suicide bomber that killed nearly 1,000 earlier this week. Among other things, Sunni leaders want new wording declaring Iraq part [...]

AP is reporting that Chief Justice William Rehnquist has died, according to a US Supreme Court spokeswoman. He was 80 and had been suffering from thyroid cancer; his last high-profile public appearance off the bench was in January this year when he administered the inaugural oath to President George W. Bush at his second inaugural. [...]

The American Bar Association heads a growing list of lawyers groups organizing legal aid for victims of Hurricane Katrina . Bar associations from across the US are donating funds to support the provision of legal help to the hundreds of thousands of displaced citizens reconstructing their lives in the aftermath of the disaster; they're also [...]

Saddam Hussein's Iraqi lawyer Khalil Dulaimi told Reuters Saturday that the October 19 trial date for his client indicated Friday by an Iraqi government source unconnected with the Iraqi Special Tribunal set up to try Hussein was too early, and that "years" were needed to assess what he called the "36 tonnes of files" in [...]

Federal and state officials said Saturday that with an influx of more National Guard troops and state police, civil authority had been restored to the New Orleans streets after a wave of crime and looting in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, but admitted that the justice system still faced difficulties. In remarks at the state [...]

The American Civil Liberties Union charged Friday that Georgia had raised the fees for its new controversial voter ID cards without notice to the US Justice Department as required under federal law. The office of Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue denied the allegation, saying that it had submitted the notice of the fee hike to the [...]